10 Songs The Artists HATED Recording
6. Animal - Def Leppard
When it comes to the greatest acts in hair metal, Def Leppard is usually at the top of the totem pole. After shattering everyone's expectations with Pyromania, the band were able to pull off one of hard rock's greatest hat tricks with Hysteria, with nearly every other track showing up on the radio. While songs like "Pour Some Sugar On Me" and "Love Bites" might still excite listeners today, the hardest track to get down had to be "Animal."
Originally started by superproducer Mutt Lange, the band were mortified once Lange announced he would be leaving the project due to scheduling conflicts. This seemed like an easy fix on paper, considering the pieces were all there for a great album, but the management's second choice with Jim Steinman ended up being a disaster. More of a songwriter than an actual producer, Steinman was not accustomed to Leppard's workaholic ethic. After one attempt trying to record the band while they were out of tune, Steinman was bought out of his recording deal and Lange stepped back in to complete the record.
Though "Animal" was halfway done when the band were with Steinman, they had to work for months on end, only to start again from scratch once Lange was brought back into the fold. There are more than a few classics that turn up on Hysteria, but not many tracks are so good that the band actually recorded it twice.